Guest blogger Susan Smiley - Oliver the Ambassador (Oliver's Story,part 2)

It's 4:13 pm

   I first posted Oliver's story where I started this blog,barely anyone saw it because well,I didn't tell that many people back then. When my computer recently needed to be updated,I couldn't post with it so I merely re-posted some older entries and Oliver's story was one of them. 
  Because now a few more folks read this blog,his story went from 12 views to well over 220 (and counting) .  In fact,before reading this entry,you can read the first part of Oliver's remarkable journey here.
A lot of folks asked me whatever happened to Oliver and who better to answer then the kind woman who adopted him,our friend (and frequent guest blogger) Susan Smiley. So let me thank Susan for doing just that and sharing her side of Oliver's story. 
      



  If you haven’t read Michael’s post/repost about the big, gray cat named Oliver you might want to check it out because this is, as Paul Harvey used to say, the REST of the story. Or the rest of Oliver’s story anyway.

     I had run up to the small, family owned pet store at the corner to pick up some staple items – cat treats, cat toys, Milk Bones – when I saw a large, gray, long-haired cat lounging in his cage. The pet store had adoption days twice a month but also kept some of adoptable pets from the Animal Welfare Society at the store all the time with the idea that more people might see the animals and adopt. At the time I had a big, gray, plush, short-haired, Russian Blue type cat named Jacques and his brother Travis, a long-haired orange kitty with a most magnificent set of whiskers. I also had Rolo, my wild little white and orange kitty I had adopted through the pet store and the Animal Welfare Society. My roommate had Townes (named after the musician Townes Van Zandt) also adopted from the pet store through the AWS.

   My neighbor worked at the pet store at the time and saw me looking at the handsome gray cat lounging in his cage.

“Oh my gosh!” I said. “This cat looks like he could be Jacques and Travis’ brother! He is gray like Jacques and has long hair like Travis!”

    My neighbor told me that the big gray guy was the nicest cat they had ever had there at the store but that they found people were apprehensive about adopting him because he was so large – almost 20 pounds! The long hair made him look even bigger than he actually was.

    She took the kitty out of the cage for me and I held him and he purred. And drooled. (I would find that was Olivier’s signature move). I wanted to adopt him so much because I could see he was very sweet. But I already had four cats and a huge dog named Hercules at home!

   Reluctantly, I gave the cat back to my neighbor and told her I really hoped that he found a good, good home.

   Fast forward to that evening and I was in my front yard trimming the bushes or some such thing when my neighbor came walking across the street with the big, gray kitty!

   “Listen,” she said. “We all talked at the store and you guys have adopted so many through us and we all really want this cat to have a good home. So I brought him home for you”

My neighbor did not even have a carry crate because she did not have cats – only dogs and birds – so Oliver came to me in a large bird cage initially. I took him from the cage and was secretly so happy my neighbor had done this. With the cat came a note from the folks who had brought him to the AWS in the first place.

     The note said that the cat’s name was Oliver – which I loved. It explained that this wonderful couple had found the cat, fed him, got him all fixed up at the vet and wanted to keep him but their one senior kitty was not keen on the idea so they had to help him find a good home. The note was signed by Lori and Michael.

The story about Oliver touched my heart and I saw there was some contact information for them. I thought that if I were in this situation with an animal, I would want to know that it had landed on its feet. So I jotted off a little note letting them know that Oliver was going to be living with me and that he would have lots of friends to play with including Hercules. I included my phone number in the note and invited them to call for updates.

   Within the week a got a call and a very sweet voice asked “Would you think it was weird if we wanted to come and visit Oliver?” I didn’t hesitate and invited Lori and Michael to come and visit their orphan cat.

 I can only say that when Lori and Michael came to visit, we bonded with each other just as we each had bonded with Oliver. We were friends instantly and so I can thank Oliver for blessing me with two dear friends.

    Later, Lori confided that she had been worried when she read in my note that there was a 120 pound dog in the mix of Oliver’s new friends. But once she met Hercules and saw how gentle he was with Oliver and all of the cats, she knew the big gray guy was in good hands. Oliver and Hercules really bonded and Lori always referred to Hercules as a “world class dog” because he was so good with all of the cats.

Oliver was also special friends with Townes. Every night before dinner they would have a little friendly wrestling match. Almost as if it were choreographed, Oliver would walk up and touch Townes on the head; then Townes would touch Oliver’s head; then Oliver would fall on his back and they would grapple playfully until it was time to eat.

    Most mornings I was awakened by a loud purring and a little bit of drool falling onto my cheek. And sometimes Oliver would get so excited that you were petting him that he would reach up and lightly bite your nose. It was his way of showing affection and trying to return the favor.

   My roommate and I dubbed Oliver the cat who loved everybody and I even considered penning a series of children’s stories about him. He would make a great cartoon kitty. I also thought that I could have carried him around in one of those papoose contraptions that people use to carry babies on their chest. Oliver would have loved that.

    Sometimes he would just go up to Hercules when he was laying on his bed and start rubbing against him and purring and drooling. Herc took it all in stride and sometimes would reach over and give Oliver a gentle nudge or lick the top of his big, gray head. 

I also found that people who professed to “hate cats” always fell in love with Oliver. I mean, how could you not?

    As always, I was very good about getting Oliver and all of the cats in for their regular visits to the vet. On one such visit, the vet pointed out that Jacques, Travis and Oliver were considered “geriatric” cats. I know now the vet was trying to prepare me for the fact that the two brothers and their adopted brother would not be around forever.

     Travis was the first to go. The silly, orange kitty that once hunkered down in a patch of chives and then could not understand why the other cats avoided him when he came into the house had a stroke. I couldn’t get him to eat and he wasn’t getting better so I called the vet to come to the house to help him cross the rainbow bridge. Lori and Michael knew I was distraught and came to be with me for the ordeal. It is something for which I will be forever grateful.

    Two years later on Christmas Eve, I lost Jacques. He just went to sleep and didn’t wake up. I knew he was slowing down, having some trouble getting around, but I’m thankful he went peacefully.

Three weeks into January, there was a night when Oliver didn’t eat – which was unusual. Much like I imagine people are with their kids, I could tell that something just was not “right”. I took him to the vet and found out that he had cancer. The doctor sent him home with some meds that were supposed to make him feel well enough to eat but the vet also told me that Oliver was not feeling well at all and the thought of my big guy suffering was more than I could take. He made it clear that the big fella was not going to get better.  I took him home and made sure everyone had a chance to say good-bye and two days later Oliver also crossed the rainbow bridge.

   As depressed as I was about losing Jacques and Oliver within a month, poor Townes was absolutely despondent. His wrestling partner was gone and he walked around the house in a 

daze. Although Rolo was there, he and Townes have never gotten along all that great. Funny enough, Townes became closer to Hercules, who also missed his big, gray buddy.

  Fast forward to the following November. Enough time had passed that I thought I might be ready for another kitty. I saw a flyer in the locker room of my swim class with a picture of a little tuxedo kitten that was looking for a home. I called the number on the flyer and went to the home of the woman who was fostering this kitten.

The foster mom lived in the same apartment and condo complex where Michael and Lori had lived when we first met. When I got to the condo, I found that the woman was fostering some other kitties in addition to the little tuxedo and when I sat on the couch, a chubby little tabby jumped into my lap and started purring.

Well, I took it as a sign. That was the cat I was taking home.

   I named him Scotty and the very first night I noticed something strange. He and Townes engaged in the same little wrestling match that Townes and Oliver used to do every night. Scotty would touch Townes’ head; Townes would touch Scotty’s head and so on. Then I was petting Scotty one day and he reached up and gently nipped the end of my nose. And Scotty grew to be 18 pounds – a big guy like Oliver. So much was Scotty’s personality like Oliver that my roommate constantly called him Oliver!

     One day Scotty was lying on my bed and I was petting him and I said “Scotty, tell me the truth; Are you really Oliver?” Do you know Scotty nodded his head and winked! That was all I needed to be assured that Oliver had come back to me as a big tabby!

   I called Michael and Lori to tell them. “I know you guys are going to think I’m crazy but…” And good friends that they are, they did not think I was off my rocker at all.

So this is the story about how a stray cat was the catalyst for a friendship. 

Writing Challenge- Day 21- Catnip

It's 4:32 pm

    My computer is in the shop....so again,my blogging is restricted in what I can post.....so here is a small single adventure with Paladin that we did last night....

As you can see....he is a very fun cat....

Writing Challenge - Day 7 - About the mighty Derek Jeter

Its 10:13 pm

     Had a rough day today,every day is getting rougher as I approach the anniversary of Lori's passing.

I am on edge outside of work....the silence is starting to get to me again. I am not sleeping very well,its very difficult going to bed when the other side of the bed is empty..I still wake up and reach for Lori,to hold her close,smell her hair,feel her breathing,her warmth.

   The dreams,when they come,are often of us just walking somewhere fun and new....Holland,Grand Haven,Chicago,Toronto...hand in hand,heart to heart,soul to soul. Just a reminder of what was and I hope to have again much sooner then later....I miss her terribly.

  I know we are supposed to blog new unpublished content but I am reposting this from my Notes on my Facebook. I am sharing this entry which I wrote about my cat Derek Jeter. Many of you know about our bond,many even got to see it and for the new readers who see his picture on my blog,well you can learn a little about him.

This was originally written 26 Jan 11.

 Its 11:34 am

As soooooooo many of you know,I have a cat. A 16 pound black and white domestic longhair/panther named Derek Jeter.I use him pretty much as my user picture because let's face it,he is a hella of a lot better looking then yours truly.

 Derek is a rescue..after my wife's beloved Geri crossed over after 19 years,it was agreed on that I would be able to get a cat. I hadn't had a cat of my own since owning a cat named Peanut eons ago....I had sort of adopted a lot of cats by proxy in San Jose...a fellow club pal named Chris Elliman used to have to tell all about his cat Sylvester. I used to invade my friend Pam Kelly's office every other Friday and we would spend an hour talking about the antics of her cats.  I wanted a cat as well but I was never home enough to seriously keep one. I was pretty much on the go,go,go...

  But now here in Michigan,I was finally able to get a cat for myself. We looked high and low for a suitable cat. Shelters,different animal groups and then one day,my wife said she found him. She emailed me a picture and when I got home,I was able to see him for the first time. He was living at the Cat Connection,a cat rescue group based in Royal Oak. As soon as I saw him,I was smitten...he had such a sweet yet curious look about him. And that beauty mark...

So we played phone tag with the Cat Connection,we wanted to adopt this cat...it was very nerve racking because it was last October and he was living in a shed with 6 other cats. Winter was coming and while the shed was safe and somewhat warm,still we wanted to get him home safe and with us.

  After 15 days,we were able to go over and meet "Loverboy" as he was then known as. He was very charming right away. While he was friendly enough,he hadn't been held much and wasn't used to it. He would tense up as soon as you picked him up. But he was very playful and we paid the 110.00 (I know,talk about a STEAL!!!!!!) adoption fee and off we went.

   The first thing we did was change his name to Derek Jeter. The 2nd thing was to see how he would interact with my wife's other cat,OSK (for Outside Side Kitty). I had a special place in my heart for OSK because he had overcome so much in his life,he had been abandoned by a former owner and lived in the woods behind my wife's house at the time.

Her mission to rescue OSK is a story all by itself and one to really make you cry...

 When I flew to meet my wife for the first time,I knew about her cats...when I told her I was part "cat whisperer" she laughed. Its true,I have been able to pet and talk about with about 99% of the cats I have met...except Michelle's Siamese which looking back was about 100% all feral and of course the infamous Phoenix,the cat of my friend Ellen. He still remains the meanest cat I have ever met. But other then that,I have been able to bond with just about every cat.

  But my wife said OSK was very shy and not people oriented. Her friends used to call him a "Ghost Cat" because while he in the house,you never saw him...

   So imagine my wife's surprise when she came home on the 9th day of my visit to see her "ghost" curled up on my chest sleeping away. I loved the OSK and any cat we brought in HAD to like the O,otherwise...it just wasn't going to work.

 Shortly after we brought Derek home,we moved. The move went smoothly except OSK now became a 100% indoor cat. I know,I hear all of you screaming "Hey...aren't you the all always screaming about cats being indoors all the time???" Yes,I am and I do....but as I said,OSK is a different tale and I had no control over his life. To this day,in the over 10 years I have had Derek and the 9 years we have had Ginger,they have never stepped outside ONCE.

  Derek liked to play with OSK but the O was 18 years old and didn't have much energy for a just out of kittenhood ball of fury. And Derek was a little rough,he would shoulder block the O and run away. When I caught him doing that,I returned the favor by doing the same....Derek loved it and that would trigger playtime. After we were done I would pick him up and talk with him. Each time I was able to hold him longer and longer. As the very first sign he was getting antsy,I would put him down.

    About 3 months after we got Derek,he woke me up by licking my head.I woke up and there he was,grooming me...over and over. Soon he started licking my arms and hands as well. But he never did to my wife. It was pretty weird and when we went to introduce Derek to Dr. Foss,we asked her about the behaviour,I thought maybe he was lacking salt in his diet...but Dr. Foss,after watching him lick my hands,said he merely saw me as a fellow cat and was indeed grooming me. She said he had chosen me as "his" human.

  My wife took to calling him "Licky",the first of many nicknames he was gotten over the years.

    Then one fateful day,my wife came home to find OSK on the floor very ill. We had no warning he had been feeling bad...she called Dr. Foss and despite it being 10 minutes to closing,Dr. Foss said she would wait...she had taken care of OSK his entire life. My wife scooped up the O and when he meowed weakly,for the first and only time,Derek hissed at a human,he was very upset at what was happening. She rushed the O in but time had caught up with the O and it was his time to meet God. After my wife said her good-byes and with Dr. Foss also crying,we let him go to reunite with Geri.

   Derek was pretty shaken,he walked the small apartment meowing for OSK. He and I walked the long hallway in our apartment until Derek flopped over and I would pick him up and walk back. It was a very sad time for all of us.

  I started noticing that when Derek flopped,he never attacked my hand when I petted his tummy. Normally a cat will show its tummy as a sign of ultimate trust but not always give you permission to touch it. Many of time I have seen owners see the tummy,start to pet it and get lit up for the trouble. Derek has never done that,it helps that just because he shows his tummy,I don't always pet it. I say "thank you,buddy" and pat him on his head.

  Derek is a pretty fearless cat and loves being with his family. He can be asleep in one room but when hears us talking in another,he'll come waltzing in and be like "What are you guys up to"? before curling up and looking at us. We noticed this and after waiting 20 minutes,would go into a another room and time him. Within 5 minutes,here comes Derek....with that same look.

    And his memory...one afternoon while walking the hall way,Derek spotted a spider in a corner,he then of course went over and promptly ate it. After that,everytime he went into the hall way,he would always go to that corner first. He never forgot his tasty snack...

  Derek's rise to fame started soon after we got him....3 months after we adopted him,the Cat Connection called us and told us that a local paper was doing a story about local rescues and that the CC had recommended us to them. I had to work but my wife took Derek down for a photo shoot and interview.  Once in a while I would take a picture of Derek with me when I worked. Dozens of people who either ask about him and/or share their animal stories.  I would get asked all the time about how Derek was doing and his latest adventures.

   Shortly before we moved,our apartment complex got hit with a mouse invasion...so imagine my shock when I was brushing my teeth when Derek came into the bathroom and stared at the trash can. Didn't move,didn't make a sound. I had never seen him sit like that so I said "Whats going on,buddy? Nothing in the trash can..." and as I picked it up,a mouse darted past me....he sprinted by us and made for the living room....Ginger and Derk both on its tail..Derek swatted at it and sent it cartwheeling across the room. I tossed a shoe at it and missed....it then ran towards me in the hallway...I managed to shut the bedroom door and kneeled before it,blocking it,it reversed course and headed for the kitchen,where Derek swatted it again....those swats took the air outta that mouse and a second later,it was all over. he had his first mouse kill. I took the bidy from him and buried it outside.

   Moving to our new house was really rough on both cats. Both hid in the basement for 3 days...normally I would have let them find their own way but see Derek crouched down really saddened me so I picked him up and sat with him in the den. I put him down,laid by him and talked sugar. After about an hour,we came over and rubbed noses with me. I petted him and he flopped and it was all good. Once Ginger saw Derek acting normal,she came upstairs as well.

   As you know,cats hate loud noises,our cats HATE the vacuum,you can simply touch it and they're both gone. We always give them time to escape,they both dash upstairs or if I'm upstairs,then down they go...

  But once again,Derek has surprised me. Now I always talk sugar to both cats when I get readdy to use the vaccum,to let them know to go to safety. But one day,Derek hung out on our bed. He didn't run...IF I gave him encouragement. So as I would clean,I would stop and tell him how good he was. And soon enough,he quit running when I was cleaning. Now he merely moves to another room and nevers runs. But some vacuums are louder then others so he does go upstairs if I'm using the Dyson. Hell,I can't blame him for that,that beast is loud indeed!

  Derek and I made it on the The Suze Orman Show. We watch Suze every week and our favorite segment is the "Can I Afford It ?". My wife and I wondered if we could afford to get a Scottish Fold kitten and so she emailed Suze our question. We didn't hear back,we thought with so many requests and so many different items,it just wasn't "sexy"enough. But a month went by and while I was at work,they repeated a earlier show. So I thought,what the hell,I'll try writing myself and so I did.

  3 days later I get a call from the Suze Orman Show and the producer loved my little note and asked me if I wanted to do it. What I had asked was for a infield partner for my cat,Derek Jeter. We did the paperwork and waited. After about 3 weeks...Suze called us and I asked her if I could afford a Scottish Fold 2nd baseman....she approved it and told me to hit a home run. Now you really don't get to chat with Suze before or afterwards,she is taping the show. Afterwards we waited and waited and waited some more. I had taped my call in July and we thought it would run in late August or so.

Imagine our surprise when the producer called and said we had made the Christmas show!!! So the show of Dec 2008,my call was on. It was very cute and a fun experience.

   But in the middle of 2009,the show called back...we were in the running for the best 3 calls of 2008! We were in shock because theere some seriously requests,cars,trips,robots....so we once again waited. The show called back and said we didn't make the cut but they wanted to know if we had spent the 1,000.00 needed to buy the kitten. Well,no...because we wouldn't buy a pure breed cat,we only get rescue cats and also because Derek is a one man cat. I'm his human and he is my cat...so I told show we saved the money and I was volunteering at the Humane Society.

Derek has many other celebrity friends,his favorite two are Kylie Ireland and Kelli Maroney,who often ask how he is doing and ask me to give him a pet for them.

   The Best Calls show came one....and while we didn't make the cut,we did make the most requested update segment!

It was pretty cool to say the least.

   Derek loves to play....he and I will play "spider fingers" where I'll make my hand walk like a spider and grab his back paws. He in turn will attempt to swat my hands. Its a pretty rare week where I don't have a small scratch on my hand. He is so fast! But he never,never tries to bite my hand. We play this game on the stairs,which explains why its covered with cat fur.

   He also is the master of the "flop". The flop? Oh yeah...when I follow him while he walks/runs around the house,he will roll on his right shoulder and show his tummy. But I don't grab his tummy,I go for his back paws and he'll flop back and forth while pushing with back paws and try and swat my hands. This is his 2nd favorite thing to do with me...his favorite is "talking".

  Other then in his carrier,Derek is a pretty quiet cat. He'll randomly meow once in a while...his "I'm here" meow. And when birds or rabbits cruise by,he'll make his hunting meow. But that is very rare and other then that,he is very quiet.

Until bedtime or making the bed. Then he and I will chat...he jumps on my bed and I look him in the eye,he'll go "meow" and I say "meow" back...trying to catch his tone. I do quite a bit as then we'll start meowing back and forth. Its goes anywhere from 15 minutes to 30 minutes and always ends up with me picking him up and holding him very close. He snuggles in my arms and I hold him quietly until he starts moving. I never hold Derek anymore then he wants and often will put him down even before he is ready...but that is important because when we first got him,he was very shy about being held. But on his own terms,he loves to be held and his fur brushed. In fact,saying the word "brush" brings Derek sprinting up the stairs. I groom him 1-3 times a week.

 Changing the bed is also a great deal of fun....Derek loves it. Trying to put a clean sheet/blanket is an adventure and drives my wife crazy. He loves diving under the covers and will pounce on a hand if he senses it.

  The last thing I'll share about Derek is his love for Burger King fries. Its the ONLY people food he likes other then tuna.

He'll eat about 3-5 fries and be so happy. We don't do BK very much but when we do,we always ask for 3-5 fries and explain our cat really likes them....more often then not,instead of 3-5 fries,we get a small order because the cashier will crack up about a french fry eating cat.

So that is my cat...he really is the best cat.

Derek stayed with me until 21 Sept 13. I was honored that he picked me to share his life's journey.

shout outs

Thanks to all of you who have started reading my blog.

Have Cat,Will Love (Dog Edition)

Its 12:40 pm
 
    Its a clear bright cold day outside here in SE Michigan. Which is a rare thing,the sunshine,not the cold. We had another little storm to kick off the week...4 more inches of snow. And we are on tap for another 2 inches tomorrow. That will give us over 70 inches of the white so far this season! Pretty amazing stuff to say the least.

   Life is really twisty in so many ways. I wrote about giving blood my last entry and the idea behind the Pink Hat. I also touched very lightly on going out socially for the first time as well to my friend's Dominic's house to watch some wrestling and how he has a cute dog.
  So you can imagine my surprise when I got a call from my friend. He need to take Vinny (his dog) in to the vet urgently. He suffers from bladder stones and seizures and was having a very rough time. The problem was his car was in the shop and he was trying to get a ride to the Westland Humane Society's vet clinic. I said no problem...Vinny is Dom and Katie (his fiance)'s family,much like Paladin is mine. I could hear the worry is his voice and that put a little urgency in my step. I backed the Rodger Young out and headed to his home.
   I got there in good shape but had my doubts I would actually make to him as his apartment complex's driveway was a sheet of thick ice. But I made it in and went in. I was shocked to see how bad Vinny looked,from a happy talking pug to a sad sight of him trying to get comfortable,trying to follow Dom when he went into the kitchen...you could see he was in some pain. Pretty soon we scooped Vinny up and headed to the vet.
  Now I know (stop me if you have heard this before) money is tight for us all...and going to the vet is not a cheap date. I asked Dom what they say this might run...he just looked at me and said "I have no idea. I have an XX amount I have saved." He also told me they were talking potential surgery and he wouldn't have enough to cover that.
   Two years ago...I am unemployed,we are in our 2nd year of Lori's illness. I am trying very hard to find any job. What has been hard before is going to be extra hard now,employers were not falling over to hire and hiring someone with a serious illness in the family,well...you are in for a extreme tussle. Employers want you to be focused and dependable for the position they are hiring you for.
  I had applied at for a company and I got a call saying I had a interview. I went in to it with no expectations once I explained my position. I know many people who have told me that I should never mention Lori's cancer in any interview. I disagreed...because as an employer,I would feel lied to if I hired someone and afterwards they sprung this on me. Not that they had a serious illness,that we could handle TOGETHER,no,I would feel they weren't trustworthy and wonder what else that person was hiding. It would create instant distrust in my opinion.
  So I decided to be upfront about where we were at.
 The person I interviewed with was Dominic. Two years ago he took a chance on me and was crucial in getting my foot in the door at my current job. He helped me and my family when we needed it most. I don't forget kindness like that...which many of you who have stayed with me in this blog already know.
 So it was a no brainer to tell Dominic,that I had him covered at the vets. I mean,how could I not?


We got there in good time and Dominic and Vinny were checked in. Soon,they were called to the back...and I waited in the waiting room. I met Sammy,a beautiful long haired kitty who had a very doting owner,he was bringing Sammy in for a check-up.
  I met Joker,a rescued pit bull was pretty happy to meet me...until I put my hand out for him to sniff. Now whenever I meet a new dog,I always present a fist for them to smell. You never give a unknown dog a open hand because if they bite,you can really get hurt,they can sink in a bite better with a open hand then a closed fist,harder to get a mouth around a closed fist. I did that and Joker started growling,his owner was had a tight grip on his leash and was very sorry that his dog reacted that way.
  The owner and I started talking,he had Joker for little more then  a year. He was a rescue from Detroit and had been found chained to a tree with a severe case of mange. You could still see the effects of the mange on his lower legs. The Humane Society said they thought Joker had been used as a bait dog. He might have reacted to my fist as he thought he was going to be hit or abused. The young man had been working very hard with re-training Joker and despite what happened,I think Joker will be fine but will need a lot of work.
   While I meeting other pet parents,I notice the time was dragging...and from experience I can tell you,the longer you wait,the worse the news is.
   An hour and 10 minutes later,Dominic came out. It looked like Vinny was going to need surgery and he would be staying at the hospital. He explained that he was critical,he had to be treated right away. But of course that would require a deposit and it was far out his budget...but it had to happen,right? So it did and we left Vinny behind with the vet saying she would update Dom later.
  We trudged back to the car and headed back to Dom's house. I glanced over and saw him struggling with his emotions. I said it was okay,my car has sen so many tears in past 4 years...and so he did.
I stayed and kept him company until Katie got home. Then I headed to work.
 The staff worked very hard on Vinny as he quickly won many of hearts,he really is a cat pretending to be a pug. Yesterday Dominic called me..the good news was Vinny avoided surgery and could come home. The bad news was his car was still laid up in the shop. Not a problem,lets go get Vinny was the only thing I could say.
  I zipped over to Plymouth,picked Dom up. We had a little time to kill so he bought me lunch at Penn Station. Never had eaten there before but it was pretty darn good! We killed some time and then went to get Vinny.
  Wow! It was amazing to see how much better he was,he was just like he was last weekend. His bladder so so full but they put a catheter (deja vu) in Vinny and drained him,adjusted his diet (no more cheese!) and said they would be monitering his seizures. They said he could be adjusting to his present medicine and building a immunity to it,so he might have to get a new med. He will have to go back for a follow-up visit this Saturday but the doctor seemed hopeful. As we waited for Katie,Vinny was talking and grunting. A couple of staff members walked over and said "hello" to the new rock star.
  30 minutes later,I got to see the family reunited and headed home.

After I had left Dom's the first time,I went to work. I got there a little early...but I got a most welcome surprise,our co-worker and all around great guy,Justin was back. Justin was the young man who was called to serve in Afghanistan for 9 months on a front line post. Lori had given him a St. Christopher medal to keep him safe and sound. I prayed for two things last year....I prayed for both Lori's and Justin's lives. Seeing Justin really drove home that God does answer prayers. Maybe not in the order received but I am okay with that...he deserves to come home and have his family back. He should have never been there in the first place. But he did his duty to us all and did it proudly. He and I had a few minutes to talk,he asked about Lori and I told him. I asked how he was doing,he came back dinged up a bit. He mentioned some close calls and some of the missions he went on. I thought the coolest thing was his getting a direct call from a 1 star general! While the topic wasn't so fun,the idea of getting a direct call was unique!
   He ended up losing 30 pounds and he looked in great shape. He is back at our store and we are so very happy he is back!

Got a sad note today,my friend Michelle in North Dakota said her wonderful kitty,Smokey,had crossed the Rainbow Bridge this week. Kidney failure was the cause. Smokey was the queen of that house...she was a very good friend to Brad and Michelle and will sorely missed.




Well,that is all I have for today. Next entry will be by my guest blogger I promise!
Try and stay warm,hug your pets a little more today and be glad you have them to share your life with.

If you are on Twitter,follow me @Jinzo_2400


Shout outs


Brad- Spring training!
Susan Smiley - Spring training
Phil - Spring training!
Sydney- Congrats on starting your blog,keep writing. You have a lot to say.
Lisa Ann - Blonde or redhead,its your heart that makes you such a beautiful human being
Dom and Katie- Glad I was able to help. Call me anytime
Scorpion - Thanks for your razor sharp wit.
Sinatra- Phone call this weekend?
Jimmy - Hoping for a sold out show with Schenker.
Cezanne - just because
Elaine - Happy anniversary!
Foster and Valenti- Don't let Brandon off the hook!
















 

Acts of Kindness

Its 10:20 am

   Been a restful evening here...it was a chilly and overcast day here in SE Michigan. I was woke up by a 12 pound ball of purring cat in my ear again. Paladin is enjoying sleeping on a dining room chair at night but dashing up and cuddling up in the morning. He is a very loving cat and I can't help but think of his old owners,their carelessness in letting such a great cat go outside to be lost is tragic. He still runs at the sound of a door opening but I pick him and talk sugar to him while leading him away from the door.



 As you may know,I am all about paying it forward. I think that random acts of kindness are one of the things that is sorely lacking in this world. Right now at work,I am being subjected to ACTS of kindness by a gracious lady named Barb. What started out as "pick up me a Dr. Pepper and I'll pay you back" which was declined,has grown into getting a bowl of homemade chicken soup a week and a sandwich a couple of times a week. I have offered to pay but the Manning Rule (thanks again,Todd!) has been invoked. I have tried paying her back many times,including asking someone else to slip the cash into her apron. Of course it was top secret and when Barb found the money,she asked the person who gave her this...which in turn,my asset,burned me and sold me out. Barb walked over and said "No,this is yours".
  Being that I am living on the edge as so many of us are doing,I am very grateful for the meals. Its very touching to know that someone is doing such a unselfish act for me. And in this day,when it all it seems that people just want to "take",its truly is awesome to give.
  Which brings me to this,yesterday saw me heading to Target for some cat supplies. I needed a new pooper scooper,a scratch pad,some catnip and whatever else I might have seen.
  While I am standing there in the cat food section,a man is on the phone asking what kind of cat food to get. I wait til he finishes his call and asked him if he needed help. He said "yes" so I spent 10 minutes explaining the differences between cat food. He asked several questions and I was pretty much able to answer them all and gave a couple of suggestions I picked up from Cat Fancy Magazine.

  I finished getting my items and headed up to check out. Again,here is where Barb came into play. She had generously gifted me a 15.00 gift card for Target before Derek Jeter passed away,I had planned on using that for cat litter but instead,I used it for Paladin's new items.
  The cashier was new and when she bagged my items,she made top heavy...and one bag spilled on the floor. As I bent over to pick it up a young woman's voice  asked "Do you need help,sir?" I picked up the bag and turned to look at a young couple with their daughter. They were in line waiting to buy some kids clothes and a couple of toys. I smiled and said "No,but thank you so much for asking". Its sad that this stands out because 99.9% of people would have said nothing to me or anyone else for that matter.
 As I was now paying for my items,I saw the toys and clothes. I looked at the parents again,they seemed a like a nice couple and the father was doting on his daughter.
  I reached over and selected a clothes item and a toy and said I like to repay your kindness. The young mom said "You don't have to do that" but I said "I know,which is why I want to". She then introduced herself and her husband,Starr and Tom, and said "Thank you!".
The amount that was rung up? 15.00......the same amount on the gift card. I said good-bye and headed home.
  Paladin was waiting for me at the window...I called his name and he started meowing and purring. I can't get over such a huge purr in a small cat!



   Kudos to Michelle Wolford Ball whose 5th Annual Bras for a Cause was another major success. The event,which raises awareness for breast cancer,is a labor of love for her both for the loss of a beloved friend but also a celebration of life as well. Michelle herself is a breast cancer survivor (as is Lori's best friend,Deb...the lady who went with me to the Memorial service which I blogged about) and works tirelessly to support others with breast cancer or in our case,uterine cancer.
  You'll note that the show was hosted by our own Amy Lange (seriously,when do Michael and Amy ever rest?) who gives back so much to our community. While I had originally planned to attend this event,the UM Memorial came a week before this and I don't think I would handled two events back to back. Besides,I think there larger forces at work,if I had gone to the show,I would have missed out on meeting and adopting Paladin. But next year,count me in 100%,Michelle!.




That is it....I know,two entries in a week! Feels great to get back in the saddle...


Shout-outs

Huron Valley Humane Shelter - Thank you very much for helping me find Paladin. He is a wonderful cat!
Barb- I can't thank you enough,I am very grateful.
Rob W - Thanks for the late night chat,you will always be a Hall of Famer in my book
Kim and Angie - you rock
Melanie and Terrie - Angels!!
Kerri - I can't wait to squeak!
Brad - How about those Pirates and Roberto is one of my heroes as well.
Bene - How about beating the Warriors this week! Can't do it without you!
Wendy- So nice to reconnect again on Twitter,you are doing wonderful things!

Thank you all so much for reading my blog,please feel free to hit the "Follow this Blog" on the upper right side.

If you have Twitter,add me @Jinzo_2400

Have Cat,Will Love

Its 10:18 pm

   Its cool and dark outside,fall is slowly making its way here while summer is still hanging on. It was a rainy day but still pretty warm considering. I know I am racing the clock when it comes to get getting ready for winter. But after next week,I will be able to get some badly needed work done on my house and get the Rodger Young checked out for winter as well. My job is only 3.4 miles from my house but I happen to drive through the most dangerous intersection in Michigan on a daily basis so making sure my car is ready has to happen!
  So the big news of the day is I have a new cat to share my life with. I want to stress that while I wish I had more time to let Derek's passing ease a little,quite frankly,I just couldn't go much longer without some life in this house or there wasn't going to be any life at all. So I started looking at the various rescue groups in the area. There were no Scottish Folds to be had and I already knew that,so I started looking at other cats.
 After poking around here and not really seeing anyone who spoke to me,my friend Theresa suggested looking at Taylor and some of the rescues there. While I was doing that,a co-worker told my friend Kim about a small kitten that had been abandoned by her new house. We took on that and I asked the co-worker,Edie,if she could handle the cat. At first she said "yes" and that it was very friendly. But when it came to go get it,I asked her to secure it in a room until I could drive out there. I can't afford the gas for a wild goose chase and needed to be sure it was there.
  Edie gave it a run by trying to pick it up but it wasn't having any of that and it squirmed out of her hands and bolted away. It was a valiant effort however.
  I was looking for a pair of brother cats and that is what I was looking for...I asked about a handsome cat named Rex in Taylor but they didn't seem too sure about about any behaviour issues and if he could be handled safely. So sadly,I had to move on again.
  I went to another local rescue called Homeward Bound right here in Canton. I looked at their selection of cats and thought I had hit paydirt,there were two 7 month old black and white cats who were brothers,ready to be adopted. I sent in via email my paperwork for the adoption background check.
 The next day,the group sent a mail back saying they got my paperwork but not my answers! So I refilled and mailed back.
  Friday afternoon,the contact person,Nancy,called and left a message. I called her back,played phone tag and waited. 20 minutes later she called...
  Nancy was a foster mom for Homeward Bound and she was fostering the cats I liked. Fostering a dog or a cat is just as it seems. You are fostering them until a shelter space opens up or if they are recovering from a medical issue. You are a temporary home,not a forever home. It takes a special kind of pet lover to foster and ONLY foster. Nancy was not that kind of person. The first thing she said was the cat I asked about,well her son wanted it since they had raised him from a kitten. But she said the other one could go along with another litter mate. This was not my intention,I wanted the cat that I applied for and that was on the website. But when she said that the cats weren't neutered,I got a bad feeling about this. And when she said she had 12 cats in her home and that the adoption fee was 125.00 per cat,I knew it was a hopeless cause. She told me that Huron Valley Animal Rescue was having a huge giveaway due to a huge hoarding case in Ypsilanti that had happened this week. A total of 88 cats were rescued from some of the worst conditions animal control officers had ever seen. The shelter needed all the spots so every cat above 5 months old were being given away free.
   Nancy,whom I suspect we'll be hearing about in a future hoarding case,did her group no favors with how poorly she handled this. Her job is to place the cats in loving forever homes,not bait and switch the cats there. I definitely would never suggest Homeward Bound as a loving rescue group if that is the caliber of people they have working under there banner.
  Yesterday morning I woke and watched my first college football game of the year,Northern Illinois at Purdue. NIU was kicking Purdue's ass up and down the field. So at halftime I brought up Huron Valley's website up so I could see what and who was up for adoption. There was a lot of cute cats so I jumped up,grabbed by keys and wallet and headed to Dixboro.
  It was a strange feeling,this was the first time I had driven this route since Lori. This was the way I drove when she was in the hospital. It brought a flood of emotions to me as I drove and I had to pull over to compose myself.

  I reached the shelter and it was jammed pack,nary a parking spot to be had...I parked on a berm along with other folks and walked in.
  The hallway was crowded but it was a organized chaos. The volunteers and staff had everything in order.
You came in,signed some paperwork to get a pet pass (which is good for 90 days) and they guided you along the shelter.
  I did the paperwork,got my pass and went it. The first I saw was in a cage by himself with cute lettering saying he was Duncan,the Ladies Man. He was handsome but there was a lot of cats to look at. I walked through every cage and petted some nice cats. Many were older surrenders who had been there for months..but on this weekend,many would going home to new loving cat parents. I saw box after pet box of cats leaving with excitied families. As I was walked around,I kept thinking of that Duncan cat and how personable he seemed to be. So as I headed back to meet him,I saw a young couple walk into his cage and start petting him. Suddenly,I knew I wanted to adopt him,I could see how sweet he seemed to be.
  It was rotten but they were inside,I grabbed his adoption page and got in line. I felt better once they left but didn't bother to look for his paperwork.

   When I told the staff member I wanted to adopt Duncan,she was really happy. He had been turned in as a stray 6 months ago but he wasn't a stray. He had been neutered so he either was lost or abandoned...and in his case,I daresay he was lost.
   It took about 30 minutes to complete the paperwork,in that time I met the arresting officer in the hoarding case. Sadly,two cats had died due their terrible conditions with another 10-12 in a 50-50 mode for survival.
 The woman was charged with animal cruelty and her house was condemned because it was unlivable.
The staff told me Duncan was an escape artist and to be aware of that. Several members came back to say goodbye and that he was a good cat.
  With that,we drove the 15 miles home,I told him his new name was Paladin and he stayed quiet up right when we got home.

   Why only one cat? Because Paladin doesn't play nice with others at all....and when I let him loose in the house...it was pretty intense. He started sniffing very heavy and jumped on the window sill. He was hissing and growling but I excepted that....I had closed off the pantry and spare bedroom and let him have his head to explore.
I popped down and said hello every 15 minutes or so...but never approached him,forcing contact with only scare him and get my self scratched or seriously bitten. The roughest moment was he started coming forward growling towards me...I told him,I understand you are scared but if you attack me,we're going to have a problem. He looked at me and I said "A major problem". He jumped back on the window and I went upstairs after setting up his food and water and litter.
   I left to check Crash and spent some time with him before coming back...Paladin was at the door but I gently shooed him back. He hissed but didn't growl.
  An hour later he came upstairs for a visit and explore. He went back down but came up and jump on the bed...he marked me,gave me a head bunt and went to my bedroom window.
  I went down to secure the house and he rubbed against my leg and hissed. I had to laugh at that but he then played with his toys and meowed at me.
  Today is great,he has accepted me except he has biting issues when he gets petted too much,this can be corrected with training He loves the window sill and when I leave my front door open. He tried to come with me out the back door and I had to use my lunchbox to push him back. He does seem very unsure about the stairs,especially the basement. But again,those are things we can work on together. I am letting him call the shots as when he wants to play or be petted,he is relaxing quite rapidly. Next week I will see if I can hold him and how he reacts to that,he has to pass that test. I have to know I can handle him in case of a medical issue and need to get him in the carrier. So wish us luck with that...


Got my review today at work. It was a very nice review and my DH was very thoughtful in how she wrote it.
She was very respectful of what has been happening but she said she thought I had a "quirky sense of humor" with my peers while taking my job very serious. Hmm,sounds like my old days at the EDGE,I am all about fun but the job has to come first. She encouraged me to take the next step forward and I intend to do that,I feel like I really need to start pushing myself hard again. I can't stay in the dark forever,right? I know that Lori would want me to move my ass...but its very tough to do that at times. One thing I need to do better is stick with my to-do lists,get projects lined up and follow through all the way.

And I need to write here more again...I notice when I don't write,my mood worsens. Hence back to grind of more regular writing....


And with that,let me wrap this up. There is always tomorrow.

If you are on Twitter,please follow me at

@Jinzo_2400

Thoughts on the U of M Memorial Service (and other stuff)

Its 12:07 pm

   Its a cool overcast day here in SE Michigan. I just came home from St. Thomas a'Becket's and my grief therapy session with Debbie Miller. It felt good to sit and just talk openly about what is has been going on as late.
  We talked about Derek Jeter and why is his loss is much deeper then a normal loss of a pet. She really understands what his passing means and while she said to get another rescue kitty,not to rush it. But the more I sit here and dwell on it,the more I want to get another cat. My co-worker Kim says there is a abandoned black and white kitty by her house who is very friendly but needs help fast. I might have to see what this cat is all about even though I am inclined to get two cats so they can keep each other company. I am taking my cat carrier to work today for Kim to get the cat,she says she will have no problem getting it....which indeed tells me the cat has been abandoned. Now we just have to set up the timing on how and when we get him.
   We talked about my energy when I am outside the house compared to inside....if I am out and about,I do pretty well....but I lose focus when I  am inside,I just become a blob. I freely admit this and I am not happy about it to say the least so that is my goal....get back outside for activities. We shall see how we do with that..

    Saturday night saw me in Ann Arbor for the Candlelight Memorial service at the Cancer Center at the U of Michigan hospitals. I had asked my friend Sheri to go with me along with Marlene (Crash's mom) and Lori's best friend,Deb. Sheri ended up having to work,Marlene got very sick so it was Deb and her friend Michael who went with me. It was my first trip back since Dr. Johnston discharged us into hospice.
  The event was set up in the front entrance of the cancer center. You walked up and were met by a volunteer who checked your name off if you pre-registered as I did. Funny thing was,the volunteer couldn't find Lori or myself. I got concerned because after the ceremony,I wanted to get Lori's picture back that I had sent it. Misplacing that would have been not good. Plus,her name wouldn't be in the memorial book or read...just as I was getting stressed,Michael actually found it after he looked right where the volunteer had. She had totally missed Lori's name even after we had told her 3-4 times.
   After this small snafu,we signed a luminary bag and helped create some art by signing a strip of cloth and weaving it through a small display. We saw the memorial book and Lori's name in it. Then we found our seats and the program started. Now I know what I am going write will seem like sour grapes to some but since I was there and you weren't,you're going to have to trust me on this.
  It was a surreal memorial....it started off with a couple of hospital department heads speaking about how much they were touched by our loved ones and shared a couple of stories about patients who had moved them personally. Then a young Indian doctor stood and sang a lovely song in Hindu.
  A family member who had just lost their mother just 3 months ago led us the lighting of the candles. Then they read the names of those who had passed away. I got very choked up when my sweet Lori's picture came on the screen. I sent in a picture of her when she had just finished school at Western Michigan. Its a very cute picture I must say...
  But the following is where it went south,a trio of three Indian musicians came out and played some sort of instrumental piece for 12-15 minutes! Stairway to Heaven didn't even last as long as these guys played. They went on and on,once when it appeared they were finished,a few people started to clap....but it was just the halfway point...then you saw people get up to leave. I saw at least 8 couples walk out during the song. When it ended,no one clapped. It was very disrespectful in my opinion to have ANYONE play that long. The memorial is about the patients and their loved ones. It felt like they were auditioning for The X Factor or hyping a new album.
   The mood was pretty much broken after this and after a poem reading by the same Indian doctor who had sang and a closing remark,it was over.
   Deb was perplexed,she said at the candle lighting she had been too,the family members stood up,commented on their loved one,lit their candle and passed it on to the next person. That make sense to me and I would have liked to said a quick comment.
  But the one big thing thank REALLY rankled me and it has since the memorial...any oncologist who wasn't on duty should have been there. Now I don't expect any doctor to attend every funeral,that would be too mentally and emotionally stressful...but the ONE night a year they have this service,every doctor should have attended. This would have brought a real sense of togetherness for us....its just one night and the show of unity against this terrible destroyer would have been awesome to see.
  But that is me and I don't think the U of Michigan is heading their breath over my POV.
I am very thankful to Deb and Michael for coming with me and for buying dinner afterwards.

This week is going to be a busy one...the house looks clean but I still have work to do in the yard before it gets really cold. We are supposed to have a wet winter and I scratching around for extra cash for new window wipers for the Rodger Young. Also need a tune-up as well....all these expenses and nothing to pay them with....its depressing to say the least.
   And speaking of depressing,San Jose State's season sure has been. After a 24-0 win over FCS Sacramento State,the Spartans played hard against 5th ranked Stanford before losing 34-13. But the game last Saturday against Big 10 foe Minnesota was just disgusting. While the score was 43-24 for the Gophers,the 3-4 defense that was installed this year is exactly what I said it would be,a complete failure. The Spartans don't have enough size to play a good 3-4 but enough to handle a 4-3. The Gophers held on to the ball for 41 minutes and the defense wore down in the 4th quarter. The good news is the passing offense wole up as David Fales had a MONSTER game with over 400 yards passing and 3 TDs.  The terrible news is the same old thing....no run game. At all. The Spartans rushed for 47 yards....when you are a ball control offense,you need the ball to control the clock and 19 minutes just doesn't cut it. The Spartans season rests on this game on Friday against Utah State,win and things might lessen up in league play,lose and start planning for 2014. We will where we really stand come Saturday morning.

Like to say "thank you" to Kerri and Monique for your kind emails this week and to Brad for staying up late and talking with me. Debbie,my therapist,says I have a tender heart,I say my heart is tender because of the company I keep.

 So we had another mass shooting this past week,the second one at a military instillation. 13 dead this time out and yet we still continue to want to "punish" other countries except our own when it comes to acts of violence. And we keep pushing the guns and the violent video games. Grand Theft Auto V sold over a billion dollars the first week out. This is the game where you are rewarded for acts of violence,killing folks,sucker punching them,stealing and robbing folks. Now I know people mock the fact that video games don't affect people...I disagree. I think they do affect youngsters. But why games and not movies? Because you watch movies but in the game...you are doing the deed,not some face on a big screen.  There is a rush in achieving a task or mission (or playing a 3-4 defense on NCAA Football and not getting blown out) that can only happen when playing the game yourself. If you really listen to the people who really play these type of games,listen to the ease in how they describe the violence. Its a lot different then playing a sports game like Madden or Candy Crush.
  Now I am not blaming the games,I think they are a gateway to more dangerous actions like take a shotgun to work and killing 12 people. The gun is still the problem and it will forever be. That is just the facts.

That goofy Miley Cyrus really has started something now....even cats are getting in on the twerking craze as seen here as this orange kitty twerks for treats.

Alright,I'm outta here......I have to take on the Bishop of Battle!

Back in the saddle

Its 8:42 pm

     Happy Father's Day everyone.

While I am not a dad in the true sense,I am still a dad to my cat,Derek. He greeted me at the door today,tail high and a couple of happy "meows" to welcome me home.


Been a busy week here since I last had a chance to write anything. Started my trial run at my new job,I like it  but am concerned at how I am being trained and at how high the turnover rate is for my job. I already have heard at least 4 people haven't lasted a month and all of them had quit. Doesn't sound too promising but I am going to give it a serious go....
  While that was happening,I took advantage of a slow week at my main job and slowly started to clean the house. I cleaned both bathrooms and emptied out most of Lori's old make-up. It was stuff that went old when she couldn't really wear it anymore. Old vitamins,outdated meds from the first round...I discovered that one can clean despite having tears roll down your face. But I didn't stop this time,buckled down and finished it.
   I resumed writing my "thank you" cards that I received and then wrote my managers and my coworkers cards as well,thanking them for their support. I know this will appear to be incredibly late and there really no excuse for it...but I simply didn't have the will to write those cards until this week. I also finished up and hand delivered the rest of the cards to Lori's team at Lane Bryant. It was good to see Jomana again,she is the world class baker I have written about before. She had baked several hundreds of cakes and other goodies for her own business until she came down with carpel tunnel syndrome and had to semi-retire. She now just makes these awesome chocolate turtles during Christmas time.
   She mentioned that they still haven't found anyone to try and fill Lori's spot. I can't really blame them...no one is going to be able to run that business and team build like Lori and I actually feel very sorry for the next person to manage that store. I chatted a little longer then walked over to Target...they have some pretty good deals on DVD sets this week and I picked up two from the bargain bin,the one and only season of SyFy's "Flash Gordon" and a spin off of "Law and Order" called "Conviction"which last on 13 episodes before getting the hook at NBC. But at 7 and 5 bucks,how can you go wrong with that?? I also picked Derek up a can of catfood,we have agreed that Sunday will be treat day as far as his having wet catfood.
 Friday afternoon saw me lose all cable,internet and phone service. I called Comcast from Al's house and I got ahold of a service tech....based in Mexico! He said a service call would take place on Saturday...which of course never happened. So I decided to wait til Monday before calling because I didn't think they would actually send anyone out on the weekend,at least not for a single house...Al's cable was working with no problem,he was pretty amused at the fact I was directed to Mexico for a Michigan problem. I told him that twice I had ended up in the Philippines while trying to solve a computer/internet issue.
 Saturday night while I was watching a "Murder She Wrote" marathon,my doorbell rang. My neighbor came over and said her cable was down as well...she called as well and said they were supposed to send a guy over earlier that day which turned into a "no show". She called them back up and complained again about having no service for the past two days. When they told her it was an isolated incident,she mentioned that it affected me as well. They said they would send someone out Sunday....and at 11:30 am,they did.
  Seems like another neighbor was either cutting his grass or digging...either way,it resulted in a cut cable. Comcast rolled a crew out to replace the cut cable and I was back online. Funny,I actually didn't mind the little time off....I finished a book about D-Day and started reading Larry King's executive producer,Wendy Walker's book "Producer" which I plucked off my huge backlog of books of which I still have about 100 to read. (Heidi,I'm sending your book out tomorrow). The book is a little too self egoist for my taste but I'm only on page 62 of a 280 page book,plenty of time to turn it around...
 As I mentioned,I watched the first season of "Murder She Wrote" on my DVD player,I also watched "The Lake House" as well....we had been sitting on that one for a while and never got to see it together. It was sort of hokey and cheesy but well intended and harmless.
  But I do have to share one thing before I found this all out. After I left my new job,I stopped by the Westland Humane Society to look at the cats. I am trying to decide if I want to get Derek another cat to chill with. Now he is 13.5 years old and while that may seem old to introduce him to a new kitty,just remember,he has ALWAYS been around other cats.
  I took a good long look at all the cats,there were several beautiful cats just waiting for a forever home. Some were very talkative,some had some very impressive motors ( i.e. loud purrs). I was looking for a 2-4 year old male kitty that gets along with others. I saw two...a black and white 2 year old named Charlie. I liked Charlie quite a bit but he seemed too nervous and unsure of himself. I think he deserves another look and the other cat was a 4 year old snowshoe mix named "Mark". Mark was only nine pounds but when I read his chart,I saw that he was a bit mouthy. This means he plays a little too rough for my comfort. I loved his motor however,he was a very friendly cat....
  I decided to look at the dogs....and I was pretty surprised to see that the Westland branch is now adopting pit bulls. They used to hold them or any pitbull mixes for three days before killing them. The policy has changed and now they are up...and up...and up. I saw at least 5 pit bulls that were up for grabs. They were very playful and excited but not for me. I am strictly a cat guy....
  I am going back to take a peek at Charlie again on Tuesday and see how he handles being in a private room with me,if he is calm and mellow,I might have to take a chance and see if he and DJ can hit it off.

A small musical break,brought to you by the October Project.


  I went to get my mail on Thursday morning. Inside was a note from Lori's insurance company,The Hartford. The envelope was addressed to her...which was perplexing to me.
See,the day after Lori passed away,I had to start calling places to let them know that she had died. One of them was the Hartford because they were paying Lori's short term disability pay. I called and talked to an agent who was sorry about Lori and said she would handle things on her end as far as stopping payments to me.
   I got a call a week later,it seems that the Hartford had over paid us 430.37 cents after Lori had died. I called them back and they explained what happened,no problem...I would be happy to return the money and so I did. I wrote a check and sent it,then called to let them know I did. Pretty simple and straight forward,right?
  I walked inside the house and opened the letter. Inside was a letter addressed to Lori stating that the Hartford had received the check and this was a receipt for said check. I stared at this letter in complete amazement...then I got royally pissed off.
  I called the Hartford claims office,found the person who sent the letter and left a very "loving,calm and serene" message about how fucking clueless and insensitive she was for doing such a asshole thing.
But I wasn't happy with that so I called back and got a supervisor on the phone and repeated the same thing.
I just couldn't believe it,I had talked to three different people about what was going on...the supervisor tried to say that maybe the file wasn't updated...well it sure as shit was when you needed your 430.37 cents back,wasn't it? But not updated to reflect Lori's passing? Horseshit and that is what I said to her.
   I posted this little adventure on my Facebook wall and was taken aback when Don Neilson,Amy's husband and all around nice guy,said he was getting mail addressed to Amy NINE MONTHS after the fact.
I understand some stuff is unavoidable,Lori's magazines subscriptions and junk mail. But to places like the Hartford and now Lane Bryant (!!!) and Comcast,yeah,I am going to be very nasty about this. Its offensive as hell to keep sending things in her name when I have called and told you what has happened and switched everything over in my name.

I know,I can I hear Michelle up in North Dakota saying "Holy crow,you are so scattered tonight"!!

 Last item. There is a very nice young lady at my day job named Anna. She has been there for 6 years but recently decided to leave and focus on her other job as well. She is studying to be a psychologist and I think she'll make a fine one. For the past two weeks,she has been insisting that she wanted to donate a little money to me as I try and make my way through the financial mess that cancer brings. I tried several times to say she didn't need to do that,that her kindness was enough for me.
  Well she caught me in the break room today and passed a little something to me. I just wanted to say "thank you,Anna" for thinking of me and my situation. I am very grateful.

Another musical highlight....the mighty Dave Alvin in action.

  He posted on Facebook tonight that he was playing at a place in San Antonio,Texas called Sam's Burgers. Not only was he playing on a Sunday which was bad enough but also was going against the Spurs-Heat game as well. That said,Dave said that tonight he might play a set based solely on what the fans wanted. All I know is this....I sure wish like hell I could have been there for this show!!!


Last,last item.  I like to say congratulations to Amy Lange and her husband Michael Shore for winning a Emmy Award Saturday night for their story about Josh Arnold who plays goalie for a local team...with only one hand. His special courage and Amy's great reporting of it won the three of them an Emmy. After Josh got his award,he wrote Amy a letter and personally delivered it to her house. What mighty hearts...




(Photo by Dewayne Croff)




(Photo by Michael Shore)